ACP part of amicus brief asserting link between fair and efficient immigration processes
Washington, D.C. (June 27, 2017)—Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling that permitted parts of President Trump’s ban on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries to take effect creates uncertainty, particularly for refugees, and inappropriately bars immigrants and refugees based on discriminatory criteria (religion and country of origin) unless they have a bona fide relationship with any person or entity in the United States.
ACP has longstanding policies on non-discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion and other factors. ACP was critical of the President’s previous and orders on immigration, issuing statements on January 30, January 31, February 7, February 10, and March 6, and remains opposed.
ACP, joined by 21 health professional education and practice organizations, filed a June 12 amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court opposing the government’s applications for a stay of the lower courts’ injunctions against the executive order barring entry of individuals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
The brief expresses concern that allowing the order’s suspension of entry to take effect will exacerbate the nation’s health-professional workforce shortages, inhibit advances in medical care, and constrain collaboration needed to undertake effective biomedical research and manage global threats to public health.
In yesterday’s opinion, the Supreme Court said it will hear merits of the case when it reconvenes in October. We are hopeful the travel ban will be struck down at that time.
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The is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 148,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on and .